I eagerly await her return each year & this morning, there she was! 🥰 #Curlew CJ6 ringed as a chick in central #Finland in 2012, this is her 13th spring staging on the #AlstonWetland patch. 3-4 weeks fattening up on #Lancashire's finest earthworms then she'll be off once again. #waders #shorebirds

Another 2 #RussianWhitefrontedGeese have joined the family party of 6 at #AlstonWetland #Lancashire. Lovely close views this afternoon through gaps in the hedge along Pinfold Lane. Always nice to get in on national influxes of any species on the local patch. #Lancsbirds #birding #geese

Local farmer was tilling this morning so that brought the #gulls in to the #AlstonWetland patch. 28 #MediterraneanGulls amongst them, almost all paired up adults, looking and sounding stunning. Eyow. #ukbirding #Lancsbirding

Been eagerly awaiting her return and today it happened. 🎉 Finnish-ringed #Curlew CJ6 back at #AlstonWetland for her 12th spring. Will likely hang around for a month fattening up on #Lancashire's finest earthworms before completing her migration back to Finland. #waders #shorebirds #LancsBirding

Jack Snipe viewed through thermal imager

Jack Snipe roosting in rushes

Still record numbers of #Snipe feeding and roosting on the #AlstonWetland patch. 161 counted on Friday but just a single #JackSnipe - there were six before the site froze over last month. The remaining loner was thermalled and left in peace. #UKbirding

Heavy snowfall brought a lot of the 170 #AlstonWetland #Snipe out into the open today. This one showed really well just in front of the central viewing screen. #waders #shorebirds #lancsbirding

Snipe habitat at Alston Wetland

Flock of Snipe in flight

2 Common Snipe in rushes

Jack Snipe in bulrushes

Did a walkover survey of the #AlstonWetland patch this morning to see how many snipe are currently present. They're certainly loving the recent rush management, areas of broken ground and raised water levels. A record count of 185 Commons and 6 Jacks! #Snipe #JackSnipe #waders #shorebirds

Been hearing of some grim breeding #Curlew productivity figures this year. Crap weather & predation taking its toll on an already trashed population thanks to intensive #farming. So was lovely to see out of 4 present at #AlstonWetland this lunchtime, 3 were precious juveniles. 💚

4 Ruddy Shelducks were quite a surprise at the #AlstonWetland patch this lunchtime! Hung around for just half an hour before heading off northwest. #PatchTick #PatchRust

Enjoyable @WeBS_UK count at the #AlstonWetland patch this morning. Trickle of Autumn wader passage with a nice group of 8 #Redshank, 4 #CommonSandpiper, 143 #Lapwing, 8 LRPs & 2 #Curlew. 6 #CommonScoter flew west but another 3 drakes had wet bellies & made it onto the count.

Hefty thunderstorm this afternoon necessitated a visit to #AlstonWetland this evening. Sure enough it delivered with two #Greenshank and 5 #CommonSandpipers grounded. Nice start to the best seasonal gift there is - autumn wader passage. #waders #shorebirds

Site record count of 20 Mediterranean Gulls at #AlstonWetland yesterday. A real treat for the eyes and a soundscape full of 'eyows'. Assuming most of them are bound for the Belmont Reservoir colony. Almost all are unringed but awaiting details of this white ringed bird....

Details back of the #AlstonWetland #Curlew - ringed as a chick 21 years ago near Oulu in central #Finland. Only seen once since in northern Denmark in August 2009 before rocking up on me patch on Sunday. Ace! Wonder how long this bird and CJ6 will linger.... #waders #shorebirds

😍 She's back again!!! Ringed as a chick at #Siikalatva #Finland in 2012 #Curlew CJ6 stages annually in the area & rocks up regularly at me #AlstonWetland patch. A 2nd bird today too which I've not seen before, also likely a 🇫🇮 ringed bird. Awaiting deets. #waders #shorebirds

The #AlstonWetland patch is always ace at this time of year. Loads of waders staging in the area before heading off to breeding grounds. 115 #Curlew 350 #Lapwing and #50 Oystercatcher today providing a joyous sight and sound in the sunshine. 😍 #waders #shorebirds

Well this wasn't on the radar for a lunchtime check of the #AlstonWetland patch today! A lovely surprise #PectoralSandpiper. The third one I've had here now on this cracking little little puddle of plenty in the '@eastlancsbirds ornithological desert'. #waders #shorebirds

Adult Pectoral Sandpiper from central screen at #AlstonWetland #Lancashire 12:00. @BirdGuides @elocbirder @eastlancsbirds

Gave the #AlstonWetland patch a good thrashing this morning but little in the way of migrants present. So good job James Bray checked en route to our gaff this evening as this rip snorter had since dropped in! Spring passage ain't over yet. 👌 #GreyPlover #waders #shorebirds

Ten years ago today it all went a bit mental on the #AlstonWetland local patch! Happy #Killdeer day to those that were quick enough off the mark. www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/lightening_do...

She's back! 🥰 Each year, I eagerly await the arrival of #CJ6 at my local #AlstonWetland #Longridge patch. Ringed 11 years ago as a chick at #Siikalatva #Finland this #Curlew will now stage here a few weeks before continuing east back to her breeding grounds. #waders #shorebirds

This week, I'll be mostly watching #CurlewSandpipers. 😍 What a time to be alive. Despite the welcome influx, none have graced #AlstonWetland as yet 😤 but 10 at Seaforth and 28 at @RSPB_BurtonMere made the weekend joyous. #waders #shorebirds

August always brings fine gifts. Pristine juvenile waders are hard to beat. This #WoodSandpiper recently spent five days gracing the local patch. Every single one is a treat. #AlstonWetland #waders #shorebirds

Been a fair while since I've seen any collared geese on the local patch. This #GreylagGoose orange HSK was at #AlstonWetland #Longridge this morning @KaneBrides

Back in April a pair of #Pintail turned up on my #AlstonWetland patch. The female soon became fleeting in her appearances. Could they really? 7 ducklings appeared on 27 May, 2 of which have now made it to fledging. Only the 3rd confirmed breeding record in #Lancashire since 1973!

1604 #Whimbrel at 16 sites for the second annual #Lancashire roost count of 2022. 826 roosted at 14 sites on 25 April. Here's a clip of a daytime flock last year at #AlstonWetland. One of the highlights of spring locally for me. @GrahamFAppleton @Camilo_Carneiro @waderquest

This ringed #Whimbrel roosted again at #AlstonWetland tonight. Definitely lime right tibia with a BTO-type ring on right tarsus, yellow over white on left tibia. @GrahamFAppleton @Camilo_Carneiro

Some more tinkering done at #AlstonWetland #Longridge thanks to Green Recovery Challenge Funding. New bund with a pipe sluice to flood more grassland at the east end and create a second hydrological unit, plus some main lagoon edge wiggling. #waders #RSPBEcology

The #AlstonWetland juvenile #PectoralSandpiper continues to keep us rarity deprived East Lancs birders happy. Still here for its seventh day. Nice to have a share of the influx. #waders #shorebirds

Spent this afternoon digging out clumps of #INNS #Crassula (****ing plant from hell / devilweed) that has spread to the main feeder ditch at #AlstonWetland. Likely a futile exercise but I have to try and delay the inevitable and keep me patch sweet for #waders #mudmatters 😭😭😭

Juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper still present from central screen at #AlstonWetland #Lancashire 09:50am. @BirdGuides @RareBirdAlertUK